Every Stray Child
by Batsojopo
Summary: Several years later someone from Felix's past shows up. This is a sequel to Training Wheels, and another collaborative effort with Rap541.
1. Chapter 1

**Every Stray Child**

Part: 1  
Rating: PG, maybe be PG-13 later on  
paring: ensemble cast  
Summary: Several years later someone from Felix's past shows up. This is a sequel to Training Wheels, and another collaborative effort with Rap541.  
Disclaimer: Battlestar Galactica and its characters are creations of Glen Larson and copywrited by Universal Studios. Stargate and its characters are creations of MGM. We make no money off this.

_**Chapter 1**_

Felix Gaeta hated flying. He hated it back in the Colonial Academy, and he still hated it to this day. The only reason why he was now in a flight suit was that he was ordered back to the SGC ASAP. If it had been his druthers, he would have driven back.

When the base's CO had initially informed him that he had to head back immediately the first thing that popped into his mind was that something had gone dreadfully wrong. He took another deep calming breath; at least Janet was all right. He still hated flying, though, added to the fact that he felt like a complete fool while trying to answer the questions the engineers peppered him about the raptor. It stunned him that he had been able to draw up the plans to build the thing in the first place. At least it could fly, though no telling how long before a catastrophic failure happened with one or more of the systems. Because of the plans, the engineers at Area 51 seemed to think he was one of them. He wasn't, and that only added to the stress he was dealing with.

_I hope I don't sneeze_, he thought as he put the mask in place. The fighter he was going back in was just about to take off from Nellis. "Please don't do anything fancy," he mumbled into the mask.

"_Not enough time to do that," _the pilot answered in his ear with what sounded like regret. Felix didn't even bother to find out who was flying him back to the mountain, but he was glad that it was just going to be a straight flight.

"_Here we go, Captain,"_ the pilot said as they accelerated down the runway and literally leaped into the air. The g-forces that pushed him back into the seat reminded him of what the viper pilots went through when they launched out of the tubes.

The flight ended up being relatively smooth, but it still made Gaeta feel almost nauseous. He clamped down on the feeling for the majority of the two hours while in transit, but he knew he couldn't hold it forever.

The smoothness of the flight was completely opposite from the descent. The air currents in and around the mountains were strong enough to have the pilot fight the controls. It turned the flight into a living hell.

"_Almost there, Captain,"_ the pilot said. He seemed to understand that Felix wasn't a pilot. There wasn't enough Dramamine in the world to help him this time. The descent the pilot took easily rivaled what the space shuttle did when coming in for a landing. It also made them land very quickly. At the end of the runway was a nondescript car waiting to take him to the Cheyenne complex. The canopy popped open and Felix tore off the mask and released the belts that strapped him in. He couldn't get out of there fast enough because he could feel it coming.

Gaeta jumped down to the tarmac and doubled over. He hated flying and what was left of his dinner was now on the asphalt below him.

"You okay, sir?"

Felix wiped his mouth on his sleeve and looked up at the pilot kneeling to the side. "I will be eventually, Rivera," he grumbled as he was helped to his feet.

"I know it was rough and I tried to be as easy as possible, but General O'Neill really wants you back."

They were quiet the few minutes it took to reach the waiting car. "Take this," Daniel Jackson said as Gaeta slid into the front passenger seat. "You do look a little green around the gills." The archaeologist handed over several familiar looking pills.

"After a flight like that, who wouldn't be," Felix muttered as he leaned the seat back. At least he was on the ground. "So, what forced me to take a fighter back?"

"It's in the file." Daniel reached back to grasp the top folder.

"Do I look like I'm in any condition to read it?" Felix retorted sarcastically. His stomach was still giving him fits, and would be for some time to come.

In the end, Felix never did read the file. He remained in his flight suit. Those suits were the one thing he really missed about the Colonial Navy. They felt like a second skin, and the ones the Air Force used were incredibly bulky. At least his stomach had calmed down by the time they reached SGC.

Sam just happened to come around the corner as they were exiting the second elevator. "Yes!" she hissed. "You're just the person I want to talk to," she said as she pulled him into one of the smaller control rooms leaving Daniel by himself in the corridor.

"Can I at least take this off?" Felix indicated the flight suit.

"Oh, yes. Of course," she answered while waiving a hand in his direction. "I think you'll want to see this though."

Felix had no idea how to take her mood. He was still messing with the clips when he asked, "And where's Jack? I though he wanted me back here."

"He's in the cafeteria. See?" she said as she pointed to a black & white monitor.

Jack was easily discernable. He was holding a banana, but he wasn't expecting the children. He counted six in all and two adults. "No. . ." he whispered as he leaned in close. _Is that?_ he asked himself.

"It can't be," he muttered as he sat down in a chair. "Do they know I'm here?" he asked lamely.

"No, not yet. All they know is that we have a specialist here to help them. The older man said they were running."

* * *

"Everyone be quiet!" Helo yelled. He hated shouting at the kids. They got enough of that from everyone else but the new ship was signaling and he needed to hear it. "Be quiet!"

There was a hush in the back of the Raptor, and he ignored the crying. "Krypter, Krypter, Krypter," he said again. "We are in distress. Please identify and assist."

Sharon looked at him worriedly. He ignored her as his earphones began to chime.

"This is the _USS_ _Prometheus_ of the United States Air Force. You may land on our ship but be aware we will take security precautions." Helo almost gasped in relief as the ship showed its landing deck.

"Thank you, _Prometheus_," he said as he steered the Raptor to the landing pad. To Sharon he added, "Don't worry. It's going to be ok." He wasn't positive of that at all, but he had to say it. Six long days running in a Raptor with six kids meant he was ready to embrace the devil from the prophecies if it meant the kids stopped crying.

It didn't take long. The _Prometheus_ had a landing deck that was similar to the fleet and in seconds they were safely landed. He could see how human they looked through the Raptor's windshield, but they dressed differently. They might be from Earth or a colony of Earth and Helo was to the point where he didn't care if they were some sort of Cylon group. They were running out of food and the children shouldn't have to pay the price for his stupidity.

"I'll go out," he said to Sharon as the Raptor was surrounded by a variety of humans. He set down his side arm and Sharon looked worriedly at him. "Don't worry," he said quickly, "If it's good, we're fine. If it's bad…. We'll all be together soon." He looked at the children and wished he had a moment to hug them all. "Don't worry," he said more loudly. "It is all going to be ok."

He held up his hands as he stepped down the Raptor's small ramp. "Please," he said as he stepped onto the deck. "Do what you want with me, but there's children inside. Please don't harm them." He could feel the sweat forming on his brow as the bald older man who looked so angry stepped forward.

"I am General Hammond of the United States Air Force." He looked at Helo and then at the Raptor. "We don't intend to harm children. Are you of the Twelve Colonies of Kobol?"

"Yes," Helo said, feeling a sudden wave of relief. But…." My wife and children…. My wife is a Cylon… all of the children are part Cylon." If they were from the colonies, he knew what would happen next.

The bald man looked sharply at the men with guns. "We don't harm children. What's your name, son?" He gestured to the Raptor. "Bring the kids on out… I've got my own."

It was scary, but at the same time he sensed that the man was trying to reassure him. He looked into the Raptor and held out his hand. "It's ok," he said softly to the huddled children. "Who wants to say hello?"

He wasn't surprised when Felicia took his hand. Kara had rejected her child almost from the second she had been born but Felicia Lee Thrace was her mother's child all over. "I'm not afraid," she said as she looked through the Raptor's windows. "They lowered their guns as soon as you said we were kids, Dad."

It broke his heart to know that a six-year-old girl could know such a thing but he took her hand just the same.

"Don't worry," the ship captain said. Sharon wasn't even sure if she nodded, she was that frightened. She hugged little Felix close and gripped Jessica's hand as the captain, Hammond was his name, stepped forward. He smiled kindly enough. "I'm going to go with you, and you won't be mistreated." He looked at the children. "It's better for the kids, to get them to our base. It's safer, and we have specialists there."

He didn't say what sort of specialists, but she was almost to the point of not caring. The crew of the Prometheus had brought the children some ration bars and that had stopped the younger ones from crying during the brief medical scans, but she could see they were all close to their limits, if they hadn't reached them already. Little Felix was shaking and he hadn't hardly spoken in months. Jessica was close to tears, and so was Martha. Hera was holding her hand and the little bag of keepsakes they had packed, while Nick kept a firm grip on Felicia.

"Here," Karl said. He held out his arms. "Let me hold him. You shouldn't be lifting so much. Come here, Tiger." She had to admit, it was a relief to let Karl hold the boy. And Felix was quick to hide his face from the ship's commander, who seemed worried.

"Don't worry," the man, Hammond was his name, "This only takes a second." He made a gesture and then she saw the rings come down. Please gods, she whispered to herself, don't let this be a mistake. Karl said the gods favored the bold but it was a lot harder to make choices when the kids were involved.

They were suddenly in a different place. Similar looking to the ship they had left, with what appeared to be a glassed in observation deck. There were guards, in similar uniforms to Hammond, and a tall gray haired man in uniform stepped towards them, a wry grin on his face.

"General Hammond," the grey haired man said easily. He gestured to the family. "I thought you had a rule… a guideline…. Something about not dragging home every stray child… although these are very cute."

"Can it, Jack" Hammond said. He handed over a stack of files. "I don't have time for it, and you now have something to do." He looked around. "Where is our colonial expert?"

"Flying passenger in a fighter from Nellis," Jack retorted. "He was helping work out the bugs in the new wings. He'll be here. So what are we dealing with here?"

What worried her, more than she wanted to admit, was the odd, almost knowing look that Jack gave her and Karl.

Then Felicia stepped forward. "He!" and she pointed to Hammond, "said we would get something to eat! I'm hungry!"

Sharon was mortified, particularly at the rather pointed footstomp and glare Felicia gave the two men, and by how Karl was struggling not to smile.

Hammond looked at her and then at Jack. "I think you've been given orders, General O'Neill." To them, he said, "Don't worry, you're safe here."

She nodded and looked at Karl hopefully. She knew he wanted it to be true too.

Helo recognized the look in Jack O'Neill's eyes. The man had been very patient, taking the kids to their cafeteria and encouraging the younger ones to try the unfamiliar fresh food. It almost hurt, seeing the kids get to eat something, but it did help shake his fear that he'd made a horrific mistake taking the family and running. But O'Neill, and Stargate Command, was military and that meant that O'Neill was going to want to have a very long talk with him. And with Sharon, and they both knew it.

"Ok," he said to the kids who were tentatively touching the cots, pillows and bedding that had been stuffed into the rather bare looking room. "I want heads on pillows in ten. I need to talk with General O'Neill and your mom does not need you all running around, making trouble." He turned to O'Neill, mindful of the child he was still holding. "I know you have a lot of questions, but I'd really appreciate it if Sharon could stay here with the kids. We could… trade on and off. You've been very kind. I'm just worried that…."

"I thought as much," O'Neill said softly. He gestured to one of the men who was hovering in the hallway, holding a sack. O'Neill took the sack and stepped into the room. More loudly he said, "I'm going to take your dad to talk for a little bit, but your mom is going to stay here with you. Dr. Alghee and Sgt. Harris are going to check up on you all if you get hungry or if you need anything. Now I don't know how things are where you're from, but here, sometimes people like to have a little friend with them to sleep with." He reached into the bag and pulled out a stuffed animal that was wearing a uniform similar to some Helo had seen on the people in the hallways and cafeteria. He handed it to Martha, and then pulled out another. "I thought everyone might like one?"

Toys, Helo thought. Stuffed animal toys dressed like military soldiers, some with odd hats, or bright red crosses. None of the kids had ever had more than a doll or blocks, it all had to be shared, and they'd left everything behind anyway. If they were going to kill us, he thought with no small amount of relief, they wouldn't bring toys.

He glanced at Sharon, but she was already being gripped by Jessica and Felicia, who were yawning but ecstatic at the same time. "Nick," he said as he started to pry Felix from his body, "Can you take Felix?"

Felix clutched harder. "No no…" Helo felt his sudden buoyant mood shift back down. Felix had always been clingy but ever since the Gemonese takeover and the violence that had taken place, the cheerful little boy had become a frightened shadow who rarely spoke, and cried when he wasn't held.

Helo had almost killed the bastards who had thought it was funny to traumatize the boy, but Bill Adama had stopped him, pointing out that he had five other kids who needed their father. "It's all right, Tiger…. Nickie is right here, and you all are going to just take some naps and Mama will be here."

"And look," Nick said as he held out his arms, "You can sleep in my bed and we got these guys to play with…Yours is pretty cool… Look, it's like he's got a flight suit…" After a moment more, the cajoling worked and the boy was transferred to Nick, clutching his new toy. O'Neill waited patiently while he checked the rest and gave Sharon a hug and then led him into the hallway.

"You have nice kids," O'Neill said pleasantly. He looked at Helo intently. "Your little boy though… did something happen? I can see that the rest of them are scared, and I know it's going to take a while for them to realize they're safe…."

"It's one of the reasons I took my family and ran." That still hurt, abandoning the fleet but with Sharon pregnant, he couldn't risk it. "I assume this is a debriefing and you'll be recording my answers so I should wait to describe it."

"That is the plan," O'Neill said after a moment. "But if it helps at all, no one is going to hurt those kids. Not on my watch."

Helo nodded. There was a reassuring steel edge to the man's voice and it reminded him of Bill Adama.

"I couldn't risk it," Helo said as he walked into the interrogation room. "They… they executed the Cylon prisoners and allies and… Little Felix wandered off and some of the new Gemonese security people thought it would be funny to let him see how Cylons die….I'm not going to lie… I beat the shit out of the one who thought it was funny… Admiral Adama pulled me off him, but if I hadn't taken the kids and run, they would have been next." Helo looked nervously at Jack O'Neill. "The Gemonese contingent… they basically took over…"

TBC….


	2. Chapter 2

**Every Stray Child**

Part: 2  
Rating: PG, maybe be PG-13 later on  
paring: ensemble cast  
Summary: Several years later someone from Felix's past shows up. This is a sequel to Training Wheels.  
Disclaimer: Battlestar Galactica and its characters are creations of Glen Larson and copywrited by Universal Studios. Stargate and its characters are creations of MGM. We make no money off this.

_**Chapter Two**_

Despite himself, Felix cringed. The Gemonese had always been too reactionary, and while he hadn't been comfortable with the Cylon rebel alliance, it had saved lives. Everything Helo had told Jack had made perfect sense. "Has he been told anything?"

"Just that we have a colonial specialist." Sam said softly.

"Karl is a good man. Sharon is a good woman, despite being a Cylon. She chose our side and that was a hard choice." Harder than he had ever thought considering what Helo was describing. He looked at Sam. "I want to talk to him, but it has been at least thirteen years." He knew from just looking in the mirror that he looked almost as he did when he had first been separated from the fleet. "We're not going to talk about my leg, ok? He might think I'm a Cylon, just because of how I look and if he knows I have both my legs, he definitely will think I'm a Cylon." Felix suspected that Helo would think he was a Cylon regardless, but of all the people in the fleet, Karl Agathon was the one person who wouldn't care.

It was still smart to not run into the room in shorts though.

"You're wearing pants," Sam said after a moment. "So I doubt it will come up." She gave his shoulder a friendly squeeze. "I don't think it'll be bad."

"All those kids." He recognized Hera, although she was a teenager, and Sharon didn't look any older but that was expected. Still, his loyalty was first to Stargate Command. "Has there been any decisions made already?" The children were half alien after all. That could be a problem.

"If the adults want work, we need more people in research," Sam said. "If they can handle it. something similar to your job." She smiled slightly as his relief. "The kids should blend it well enough."

"Has he been told anything?" They had assumed when he had first met them that he knew Tau'ri meant from Earth, and they hadn't known how the religion of the 12 Colonies had placed Earth as the 13th Colony. He had come to terms with what the Goa'uld were, and what it meant to his religious beliefs, but the revelation of Earth being real had been a bad moment for him. A real bad week of moments, really. Of course Helo would have more support. At the very least, the people in Stargate Command understood it was going to be a shock.

"Just that this is Stargate Command and that we're not going to kill his family."

"Ok." He would have to emphasize Karl and Sharon's tendency to be protective of each other and of their children. "What. what are we hoping to accomplish here? Karl's a pilot, a much better pilot than I will ever be, and so is Sharon. If they took their family and ran. It has to be extremely bad in the fleet." Although the truth was that things had never been great for the Agathon family. And. the fleet was still around. His people, no matter how frakked up, were still alive and he couldn't help but be glad.

"Our thinking," Sam said after a moment, her expression slightly amused, "is that the last guy we picked up from the Twelve Colonies of Kobol worked out really well so we'd like to see if the two new adults we've found could work out too. Since we're currently on the hook for taking care of them anyway."

"So Helo and Sharon need to know I'm here." And he needed to help them, even if it was awkward beyond belief. They had always been his friends and they had tried to help him when things had been..bad. He opened the small file. There were pictures and names for all of the kids Helo and Sharon had brought with them. In a way it hurt even to look at Helo. The man was still as handsome as he had been, but totally grey and Felix could see how hard the years had been. Technically he was forty-three and Karl was forty-five and he knew damn well that thanks to the Goa'uld, he looked perhaps thirty. And if he covered up the touch of grey in his short hair, he could still look mid twenties. Looking at Sharon, who still looked all of twenty-seven herself, he knew what Karl was going to think.

And the sooner he did it, the sooner they got past it. He tapped the glass so Jack would know he was going to come in. He took just a moment to straighten the fatigue uniform he was in. It was good, he realized suddenly, that he was in uniform, in the uniform of a captain of the United States Air Force. It would reassure Helo to know he was part of the organization.

He opened the door to the interrogation room. Jack grinned at him and pointed. "See? Our colonial expert is here."

"Hi Karl. It's been a while." He felt like an idiot. He wanted to hug Karl. It had been so long since he'd seen anyone he knew and Karl had been his friend since high school.

Karl stood up, the shock plain on his face. "How…how are you here, Felix?"

For a moment Felix hesitated. Finally he said, "It's a pretty long story. It's good to see you."

Suddenly Karl stepped forward and grabbed him in a hug. A hug that he didn't hesitate to return. He could feel Karl shaking, even though he could also feel the strength in the man's arms. "Thank the gods you're alive," Karl murmured. "We thought…we thought you died when you went through that force field.. Is this where you've been all this time?"

After a moment, Felix pulled back. "No. I've only been here for about three and half years, but this is a good place. No one is going to harm your family." He could feel his own voice shaking. "It's so good to see you, Karl, to know you're alive."

"How." Karl shook his head. "We couldn't figure out what you did. We couldn't come after you."

"You have no idea how lucky it was that you didn't." Felix said it sincerely, and he meant it. That was one resentment he had let go of a long time ago. It had only taken him mere days to understand that if anyone had followed him, they would have ended up dead. Or worse. And Karl looked guilty, shocked, and frightened all at the same time. He gripped Karl's arm and gently steered him to a chair, realizing suddenly that it was a move he had actually learned from Karl. Helo had always been the first to spot if he had become unsteady on the prosthetic leg, and had mastered the unobtrusive touch of support.

"General Hammond is going to try to look for your fleet," O'Neill said as Karl sat down. "But the way you folks do jumps. It's like looking for a needle in a haystack." He seemed almost amused at how Helo just waved it off and stared at Felix. Felix wasn't as amused. He knew what was coming.

"When did you find out?" Helo asked. His hands were shaking just a little. "I mean. You know I'm ok about it. I mean. " He eyed Jack suddenly as if he realized he might have misspoke. Felix knew Jack wouldn't get the sudden tension Karl was showing.

"I know you'd be ok with it," Felix said softly, "And I know why you think it. But I am not a Cylon. There's a really different explanation for why I don't look that much older." He looked at O'Neill, who nodded. "There's a lot going on here that you might not be aware of, but I have told General O'Neill about the Cylons."

Helo gaped at him. "Are you sure? We still haven't found the last model but..." After a moment he seemed to shake it off. "I'll. I'll trust you on this. I don't really have a choice but if you're not a Cylon, how are you looking like this. And if this isn't where you've been for the last thirteen years, then where have you been?"

Felix glanced quickly at Jack and then back to Helo. "The short version," he said quietly, "is that the rings open wormholes between two points. I ended up on a planet called Andelia and it was being ruled by an alien who spent ten years alternating between torturing me and using alien technology to keep me perfectly healthy and basically the same age."

"The alien is called a Goa'uld," Jack added helpfully. "Nasty things with nasty tech. We sort of have this little war going on.."

"Aliens." Helo thought about it for a long moment. Then he grinned wryly. "I can top that. Kara Thrace had a baby. With Sam."

"Did he rape her?" Because tattoos of marriage aside, once Kara had found out Sam Anders was a Cylon, she had always physically recoiled from her husband. Not that the marriage had lasted much past the horrific aftermath of finding the false Earth.

Karl actually grinned. "Oh come on. No. Once things just turned into a daily grind. He really started drinking, and Kara never was one to say no to ambrosia, and every once in a while they'd have sex. And about seven years ago.. She got pregnant and even if the baby is half Cylon, you still can't have an abortion."

"Why not?" Jack asked suddenly, his expression curious.

"Before the holocaust, it was legal in most colonies," Felix said quickly, "but with such a dramatic drop in population, people need to have babies if the species was going to survive." He turned his attention back to Karl, sensing that there was a punch line of some sort coming. "So did she kill the baby?"

"You'd think, but no. Sharon dangled some raw meat and alcohol in front of her, and we took the baby from her." He shrugged. "I'm kidding but only a little. She didn't want the baby and there weren't a lot of volunteers to take a half cylon, half Kara baby.."

Felix fumbled with one of the pictures that was already in the small file. "The little blonde giIrl. I wondered how you two managed to get a blonde kid." Looking at the photo he could suddenly see it and it was like being kicked in the stomach over and over. "Kara had a baby."

Helo's eyes twinkled. "The best part? She named that baby after you. That is Felicia Lee."

"Why would she name a baby after me?" She had been a little nicer to him after he'd lost his leg, that was true, even going so far as pop an ensign nugget in the jaw for calling him "stump" during a card game, but they hadn't been warm friends.

"I did ask her, once. She said a half cylon kid was already going to be messed up so she should at least be named after the one guy in the fleet who never frakked her over even though she said you had every right to." Helo leaned back in his chair. "She also said it would piss off Sam. Because of your leg, and because he thought he killed you when he pushed you into the ring."

"What?" Felix was taken back. "I thought. I thought I lost my balance." The truth was that he didn't remember it that well, which was an irony. He had lost his leg and they had found what they thought was Earth just a week later. His leg, the stump of what had been left, had been hurting so badly, he'd taken a secret morfa shot before he had struggled into a flight suit and gone to the surface of the burnt world. The Admiral had asked him, not ordered, and he had understood the distinction, that the old man was allowing him to back out of a mission because of his wound. He had barely been conscious, the drug kept him from screaming in pain but it also made his memory of the incident hazy.

Karl smiled sadly. "You were leaning on the crutches you had pretty hard. You seemed like you had gotten some pain meds but you were examining the ring and you got it to spin and glow and… Sam slipped and pushed you forward and you went into the force field. And then the ring shut down." Helo shrugged. "I know he is never going to make your list of favorite people, but he fell apart after that. He thought he'd killed you, we all did, to be honest. And with his being a Cylon on top of everything. He just drank himself into a stupor and never really sobered up."

"You're right, I'm not overwhelmed with sympathy," Felix said after a long moment. He still had nightmares about his leg, and he still had nightmares over the time with Iblis. Pushing him into the ring had likely been an accident, but shooting him hadn't been, and Sam Anders hadn't even been able to look him in the eye on the Raptor ride down to the planet. "But frankly, I don't remember it very well because I was on painkillers and what I remember best is what happened after, when I was captured by the Goa'uld who were on the other side of the ring." He didn't want to discuss it with Karl, not then. Because it was awful, to begin with, and it would just make the man feel bad. More importantly, it wasn't what they had Karl "Helo" Agathon in the briefing room for. O'Neill knew his story, but the general wanted Agathon's. And so did he. He gestured to O'Neill. "I've told the people here in Stargate Command everything I remember about the fleet, but obviously everything I knew is out of date." He gestured to the uniform he was wearing. "The people here took me in, and I can promise you, your family is safe here."

Helo nodded. "Honestly, Felix, things went to hell almost as soon as you disappeared. We went back and the Admiral decided. That you were dead and that we weren't going to waste any more time with the ring since we didn't have anyone other than Dr. Baltar who could figure it out and he refused. And then." Helo looked at him, his expression suddenly worried.

"It's been close to fourteen years at this point," Felix found himself saying, although he could sense Helo was trying to find a way to gently break some bad news. "Just knowing some of you are still alive means a lot but I'm not unrealistic enough to think that everyone I knew is still alive."

After a moment, Helo nodded, although he didn't look happy with what he was about to say. "Your boyfriend, Louis."

"Your _boyfriend_?" Jack asked, his expression amused. Felix rolled his eyes at the man.

"I was more into men when I was younger, Jack, and I've explained that." To Helo he added, "People here are like Sagiterrons about sex. If it's not a man with a woman, they get all uptight." Which made some of the Tau'ri's entertainment almost quaintly hilarious at times.

"Felix and I dated in high school," Helo offered. "It's not that big of a deal."

"Really?" Jack winked at him. "Does Janet know about all of your boyfriends? You know she might be a little worried about your high school boyfriend being back in the picture."

"I'm married now," Helo said quizzically.

"It's different on Caprica, Jack," Felix said patiently. He knew, to a point, that Jack was just teasing, but sometimes the people in Stargate Command just didn't understand how different humans raised on other worlds were. "In the colonies, it's not unusual for boys and girls to have their first sexual relationships with same sex partners. Karl and I dated when we were in our teens. We both moved on, and that's very typical. I'm not typical in that I preferred men as an adult but you really need to remember that it's not unusual for men and women to have same sex partners in the colonies. Louis and I were dating." It hurt because he could already sense that he was about to get bad news, and because Louis had always been a regret of his. Louis had been a damned good friend and lover, and if he had desperately needed someone to hold onto, Louis had as well and more than once, especially when things had turned better, Felix had wondered how Louis had fared.

"Louis was angry," Helo said carefully. "He was angry that you had gotten hurt and that no one seemed to care, and he was really angry that you got left behind." The older man hesitated. "He was mad that Sam wasn't punished at all. He didn't think the Admiral was bothered by what happened to you." Helo paused. "The Admiral was, Felix, he was devastated. He didn't punish Sam because it had been an accident. and because of the alliance. We just. We thought you had died."

"It's all right, Karl. You don't have to apologize." Karl was battling shock, he could see it on the man's face, and it wasn't the time for recriminations especially when he knew in his heart that there was nothing his friends could have done. "Did Louis die?"

"He got…he led a mutiny. He got with Tom Zarek and Zarek twisted everything and…Louis blamed the Cylons and Zarek fed on that. and a lot of people died. Including Louis. The Admiral was going to execute him but he got one of the guards guns and they shot him. And he died. Along with a lot of other people… There were mass executions of people who followed Zarek." Helo paused. "That's how the Gemonese gained control. Louis mostly had the Sagiterrons helping him and you know how people could be."

It was worse than he expected but he could see how it happened. "Poor Louis. I can't imagine what he went through." Louis had always been the passionate one. As much as he knew that he had never been as in love as Louis had been, at least not until he met Janet, it hurt to know that Louis had died trying to avenge him.

"It got worse," Helo said sadly. He and Tom Zarek took over for about three days… They killed the Quorum, Gauis Baltar, a lot of the people who were following Baltar….A lot of the Cylon allies were killed and then…. Zarek had the Quorem shot and Louis shot him and then…. I still think Admiral Adama would have spared him… we all thought he was crazy but he was firing when he rushed the marines…"

Felix blinked back tears. Louis had been as close to a spouse as he had come before he had found Janet. And Gauis… Gauis had been a friend once, and a man who had been sadly a fool despite his intellect. He had always hoped that Louis had moved on. "It's ok," he found himself saying. "It's been thirteen years… I didn't expect a lot of good news."

Karl nodded and took his hand. "Aside from the people who took over the CIC, we never found out exactly who was in the mutiny and who wasn't and that made things worse as time went on. Colonel Tigh…. shot himself about a year later. He never recovered after the world with the gate and the mutiny. Lee was President for a little while… he and Dualla had a couple kids and then she… she died after the second baby. Some sort of infection… Ishay tried to save her but there wasn't enough medicine…." He waited until Felix nodded, "Everyone knew that it was really the Admiral running the show and a couple years ago the people demanded elections and the Gemonese gained power… and they hate Cylon and no one really understood how much…. It was Lee and the Admiral who helped us take the Raptor…."

Felix nodded but it was just to keep Karl going. He was too lost in thought. Wondering was one thing… but knowing that he'd never see his friends again. Friends like Louis and Dee who had sat by his side during the worst moments. Even Baltar. It hurt. The only saving grace to the situation was that at least some of the people were still alive.

TBC…


	3. Chapter 3

**Every Stray Child**

Part: 3  
Rating: PG, maybe be PG-13 later on  
paring: ensemble cast  
Summary: Several years later someone from Felix's past shows up. This is a sequel to Training Wheels.  
Disclaimer: Battlestar Galactica and its characters are creations of Glen Larson and copywrited by Universal Studios. Stargate and its characters are creations of MGM. We make no money off this.

_**Chapter Three**_

Karl and Sharon sat in the cafeteria looking over the plans of the raptor Felix had managed to draw up from memory. "I can't believe how close he got," Sharon muttered as she compared the official schematics from their own raptor to the ones Felix had drawn up. On the table were several more tech manuals that the raptor normally carried for quick maintenance if it was needed. At the next table were the children eating their lunch.

"Yeah, I know," Karl muttered.

"Enough of that," Sam announced from the doorway. The Major walked in with a big grin on her face. "It's time to get you out of SGC."

The thought of not living in the military base quickly caught the Colonial's attention. "What about the quarantine?" was the first thing that Sharon said. "And this?" Karl indicated manuals and paper strewn across the table.

"As long as you don't go running around, you should be okay. And don't worry about that," Sam dismissed both queries. "I have a feeling looking at your new home supersedes anything you've done here."

"Home? You mean we get to live in a house?"

"Yes." Sam watched their reactions in amusement for a moment before continuing, "Come on."

"Okay, I need you to stack your trays over by the trash bin," Karl told the older kids as he picked up Felix and the stuffed toy he still had with him. Ever since he had received it, he had not let it go. With his free hand, he picked up the tray and put it on the stack the other children had left. Though they were quiet, he could tell they were looking forward to getting outside for once.

The vehicle they were lead to was inside an underground garage, so there wasn't much to see. "It's not that far away," Sam explained while they got everyone into the minivan.

"Good," Sharon answered while looking back at the kids. It had been difficult to get little Felix into the car seat. The teddy bear he got several days ago had helped, but not as much as they wanted. He was still terrified of most everything around him, and would be so for who knows how long.

"Where's Felix?" Karl looked back to the base entrance.

"He told me he would meet us at the house," Sam answered as they pulled out of the parking garage.

"Okay," the Colonial finally answered. His attention was more on the landscape they were now passing than what Sam had said. The trip was over before even the children could become restless.

"We're here," Sam announced as she put the vehicle in park and turned off the engine. The house was a big split-level with lots of trees surrounding the building. They weren't the only ones there. Several Air Force personnel were working on the landscaping while others were going in and out of the front door.

"What's going on?" Sharon looked, but had her attention on getting the girls out of the van.

Sam smiled. "They're getting it ready. It had been close to a year since anyone has lived in it, so they're making sure it's clean and ready for its new occupants. But you can come on in." She led the way to the front door.

"Let's go see our new house," Karl said while picking up Felix. "Come on, Buddy," he said softly. Instead of burying his face in Karl's neck, he looked in the direction they were going. The Colonial hoped it was a sign of improvement, but he wasn't sure.

"This place is huge," Sharon muttered as she stepped inside the front door.

"Made for a family of at least six," Sam answered as she led Sharon and some of the children to the hall and the bedrooms.

"Where's Felix?"

"Just arrived," Gaeta answered while walking through the front door. Beside him was a large ivory colored dog with cinnamon highlights that came up to his lower hips. The moment the dog saw little Felix he watched for a moment then began to quiver and whine in anticipation. "Neville," Felix said softly. "I know you want to see him. . .Stay," he commanded the dog.

"Are you sure he's safe?" Karl asked while tightening his grip on his youngest child.

"Very," Felix let a slight smile cross his face while indicating the couch. "And I believe the dog just what he needs."

For a moment, Karl looked at the couch before finally sitting down. Young Felix finally looked at the large dog for a moment before turning his face back into Karl's neck. "You're all right, buddy," Karl rubbed the child's back as Felix sat down beside them.

"Neville wants to meet you, Felix," Gaeta commented while trying to get the child's attention. "He's really friendly." He nodded and released his hold on the leash that allowed the dog jump up on the couch. Stepping over Gaeta, he pushed his wet nose between Felix's small hands and started licking his face. For a moment, the child tried to push away but was soon giggling at the dog's antics.

"Do you want to play with him?" Karl asked as Neville jumped down to the floor.

Felix nodded and quickly slid down to the floor to join the much larger dog.

"Karl, I know you're still nervous, but you don't have to be," Gaeta started. "Neville is a trained service dog. If anything happens, he will know to get either you or Sharon."

"How did you know we'd need something like this?"

"Because, Neville. . ."

"Karl!" Sharon cried as she rushed into the room, behind her were a couple of the older children. The Cylon stopped short when the large animal put himself between her and the child and let a low growl out of his throat.

"Neville, back," Gaeta quickly commanded the dog. "It's all right," he told Sharon as he moved over to the dog and pulled him back towards the couch.

"NO!" Felix cried as he wrapped his arms around the much larger dog's neck.

"I was just explaining to Karl that Neville is a service dog," Gaeta said as he sat back down. The dog was now sitting calmly beside his current owner. "And I can tell your youngest needs his services."

Sharon glared at Gaeta while picking up Felix. The child was already starting to cry. "You're all right," she said softly. At her words, he shook his head. "Do you want to see the dog?" she asked warily. When he nodded, her face fell in dismay. "I don't trust it," Sharon said to Gaeta.

"Because he doesn't know you. He's perfectly safe. Plus, if anything does happen, he will know to get either you or Karl," Gaeta explained. A thoughtful look crossed her face on hearing the new information.

"How do you know all about this?" she finally asked.

Gaeta let a sad smile cross his face before answering, "Because, Neville is my service dog. I really needed him my first year. I'm now to the point where I don't need his services anymore."

"And he knows Felix needs help?" Karl asked.

"I knew the moment he reacted to Felix," Gaeta answered with a grin, but disappeared just as quickly. "He was acting similarly when I picked him up." He shrugged off the odd behavior. Gaeta was about to say something else when he felt his phone vibrate.

"Excuse me," he muttered as he moved towards the kitchen area while taking the call. "Speaking. . .wha. . ." Color drained from his face as the person on the other end continued to speak. "I'm on my way," he finally answered then disconnected the line. "Sam!" he called as he shoved the phone back into his pocket.

"What is it?" the major answered as she rounded a corner.

"I've got to go _now_. Introduce Neville to everyone else," he said as he quickly left the room and then the house.

"Felix, wait!" Sam called after him. She caught him in the driveway before he could get into his car. "Wherever you're going let one of the soldiers drive you. You know how worried Janet will be if you got hurt in an accident."

Felix visibly flinched but he did listen to her suggestion. "It's Janet," he mumbled then went over to the passenger side of the vehicle. His reactions told her what was wrong. "Curtis!" Carter called to one of the soldiers. "Get Captain Gaeta to the University Hospital ASAP."

"What's wrong?" Helo asked as Gaeta got into one of the Earth vehicles and drove off at a fast pace. "I know his wife was close to term." He was still surprised, and pleased, that Felix had done so well for himself despite the obstacles that had been thrown in his friend's path. Helo had been happy for him, that was the truth, and not jealous at all once Jack O'Neill had carefully explained the reality that Felix had danced around. Things had been worse than merely bad for Felix, things had been downright horrendous for the man, and for longer than Karl had ever wished on his worst enemy. He wasn't afraid to admit, the fact that Felix Gaeta had turned up on Earth had been the moment that he had accepted that his family was safe. Gaeta had always been a good friend, someone who hadn't turned bitter despite having plenty of reason to do so, and the last thing Karl wanted was for something bad to happen. And Felix had left so abruptly, on a day that had clearly been carefully planned out. Something was wrong.

Samantha Carter looked at him and Sharon and then seemed to consider what she was about to say carefully. "His wife… she's pregnant…"

Helo nodded. That had been a big surprise but a pleasant one and Felix had seemed so happy with his family. They hadn't met his wife because she was on bed rest. Twins, and not the first set of twins either. He had already joked with Felix about how busy he had been. "He said that that she was on bed rest, with their second set of twins."

"She went into labor. That's why he was in such a rush to leave." Sam said it quickly, like she was trying to be nonchalant but not quite managing it.

"But that's good news," Helo said after a moment. He was surprised that Sharon suddenly shook her head.

"No… Karl, Felix told me she's just a couple days short of eight months." She looked at Sam with concern and then back at him. "That's early. Especially for twins and… He was worried that she was having a hard time. It's not really a good thing."

"But it's not necessarily bad, either," Sam said after a moment, obviously wanting to reassure them. "Janet is really healthy and her doctor is very good."

Helo nodded although it was quite clear that Sam was worried. "I suppose people have babies all of the time…" It was at that moment that Nick popped into the kitchen, clearly excited.

"Dad, there's a whole entire house downstairs! There's even another bathroom! And Colonel O'Neill is outside in the space behind the house with Dr. Jackson and they're making something. Come see!" Nick's face was flush with excitement. It made Helo glad, just to see the young teen look excited.

"Why don't you show him, Nick?" Sam gave Helo a little push, clearly amused.

"All right, let's see it." He chuckled as Nick tore down the stairwell. "You know we're all living here for the next two months with no breaks so you might want to take it easy."

"It's cool!" Nick yelled. Helo had to admit, the downstairs was just as nice. He could see why Nick was impressed. It was a big spacious den, with large couches and chairs angled around an entertainment center. There was built in bar, the sort of thing his own father had always wanted for parties with friends. There was also a small alcove lined with bookshelves and containing a small table. He could see books on the shelves and puzzles and games. It was very kind, kinder than he had ever hoped for. He knew he had made the right decision. The only thing that saddened him was knowing that the people in the fleet were still suffering.

"Dad, come on!" Nick said as he opened a glass door that led out onto a covered patio. Helo smiled as he stepped outside. He had to admit, he liked the design of the place, and he could already see himself watching the kids playing while standing on the deck above. Maybe having a nice cup of coffee, he thought as the chilly spring wind blew around him.

O'Neill, Jackson, Teal'c, and three men that Helo knew he had been introduced to were all standing around a pile of partially assembled lumber, glaring at the plans of whatever they were building. Martha was there as well, wearing a humongous tool belt and grinning. "Hey," he said, "What's everyone doing?"

"We're building a play set," Martha said. She held up a hammer. "With these. I'm charge of handing tools to people."

"Are you?" Helo said with a smile. Martha was seven and almost scary in how bright she was when it came to building toys. "What is a play set?"

O'Neill waved his hands. "You know… swings, a slide….maybe a little fort…."

"You really don't have to," Helo said suddenly. "You've done so much for us already." He wasn't a fool. The playset, and the books and games he had seen, were brand new. Charity was fine when there was need. He wouldn't refuse food or clothes but a new play set when the kids had barely even had toys. It felt extravagant and he didn't want the kids to think being on Earth was some sort of present party.

O'Neill shrugged. "You're going to be confined to this house and yard for the next two months. We'll go over the boundaries but trust me. You want the kids to have something to play with." He grinned in a knowing way. "Now… you seem to have a strong enough back. Maybe you can lift things."

"Well… with the forewoman's permission," Helo said, with a slight nod to Martha. She grinned and came over to hand him a hammer and then hold his hand. She grinned at him and he couldn't help but smile.

"Hey look," Daniel said, as he rubbed his hands together. "I think Neville's made a new friend." He pointed, and Helo looked. He was surprised, shocked really, to see little Felix standing in the covered patio, his hand gripping the giant cinnamon and white dog that Gaeta had left behind. Not only was the little boy standing there, he was grinning like he had just gotten a huge present. As Helo watched, the dog licked the little boy's face and slowly led him to the group of people.

Remember what that doctor said, Helo told himself as Felix and Neville came up to him. He doesn't talk because you don't make him talk, the doctor had said, you allow him to be silent. "Hey tiger," he said to Felix. "Why don't you introduce your friend here?"

"This is Neville," Felix said shyly. He hugged the dog. "He's my friend." Neville licked his face and Felix giggled.

"Well…. Now that Neville is here, we can really get to work," Jack said easily. He walked over to the little boy and draped his jacket on the boy's small frame. "Now I think we have a swing set and fort to build."

So this is the kitchen," Sam said as Helo and Nick went down the stairs. "We made sure that there were dishes and pots and pans, and appliances. Felix said that everyone in the colonies was pretty similar but that you two might not be used to cooking." She could see by Sharon's somewhat overwhelmed look at the kitchen that it was true. "Don't worry, we've got it arranged for someone to come and help you to get started."

In fact the Agathon family would have twenty four a day guards during the two month quarantine. There were also tutors and volunteers scheduled to come on a daily basis, to help them acclimate. Janet had told many funny stories about teaching Felix about how to pass as American and as funny as they were, the stories highlighted how badly the Agathons would need help. Gaeta had struggled for close to a year, and while she knew that part of his problem had been due to torture and horrendous mistreatment, there was still a lot of sheer culture shock he had dealt with. Janet tended to make light of it in official reports, Samantha knew that it had been hard in the first six months. Gaeta hadn't known how to cook or shop, he had a vague idea of needing to pay bills and do his own laundry. In a lot of ways he had been like a young child, and she could easily see the signs in the Agathons. They were clearly overwhelmed by the house that had, for the most part, been fully furnished and supplied and they were overwhelmed by the idea that people were being nice to them. A lot of the staff at Stargate Command had been entranced by the story that Karl Agathon had told, of being essentially turned out by the colonials, with six adorable sweet kids and a pregnant wife. Over the last week, it had been an easy chore to stock the safe house with the items a growing family needed.

"I will be here tomorrow," Sam added as Sharon walked into the living room and looked at the fireplace. "Just to help out if you have any problems. And there will be people here every day for the next few weeks."

Sharon nodded as she looked at the hearth of the fireplace. "Who… who did this?" she asked, her voice choked with emotion.

Samantha came up beside her and smiled. "Felix did. He thought you would like it." It was quite obvious that Sharon did like it and was just overwhelmed. Gaeta had gotten photos of each of the Agathon family and had them framed and hung over the mantle, and while Sam didn't consider herself an expert in Gaeta's religion, she could recognize the figurines that he had placed on the mantle.

Sharon nodded as she touched the photos. "He's… he's a good man…This is something Karl will cherish." She touched the nearest photo, of Rose, and began to cry. "This is just so nice…."

Sam gave the woman a hug. Sharon hesitated only a moment before returning it, obviously overcome. "You don't understand," she sobbed. "I don't think… the kids have never been treated so well. When we left the Galactica… we didn't think beyond saving the kids… I never expected humans from Earth to be so forgiving. I never thought we'd be welcomed."

After a moment, Sam broke off the hug. "Your people didn't… destroy our world and that makes it a little easier. And… Felix vouched for both of you." With some pointed reservations, namely that if either felt the other was threatened, or if the children were threatened, both adults could and would react violently. Fortunately Stargate Command didn't plan to test parental love.

"Still…." Sharon wiped her face. "This is incredibly generous. The clothes, the food, the house…. The kids never had toys that were new like those stuffed bears, and they are ecstatic… What… what are the people doing outside in the yard?"

"Well, General O'Neill worried about the children not having enough to do here so we all chipped to make sure the younger ones would have something to play on." In fact, the response had been overwhelming. There had been so many offers to help that people had to be scheduled to assist, and the money was being held for future needs. Sam knew that Gaeta had already made provisions for the Agathons financially. He had made a lot of money on patents, and he had his own private scientific corporation, and was rather generous at spreading it around. He intended to help Karl and Sharon transition to Earth and Sam knew that he considered it an obligation to help the family out. But there was time enough for that discussion later. "Come on," she urged, "Let's go out on the deck and you can see the backyard."

She led Sharon out onto the wooden deck. Janet had always complained about how the house she had bought with her now ex-first husband was too big, but she and Felix had rapidly outgrown it and built a bigger home on an old ranch not far way. She had always liked the property, the large upper deck and the huge yard, and Janet had always liked the land as well. There were trees and a small stream that defined the edge of the property, with a large field in the back where cows grazed. They were a ten minute drive to NORAD, and the house an acre and a half of land with neighbors on their own large plots. Suburban but isolated and close enough to base to keep the family isolated. The driveway was already posted with warnings that the inhabitants had a serious strain of measles and Sam knew that Jack or possibly Hammond planned to lecture the family later that night in what quarantine meant. Only one of the children, Felicia, who wasn't a natural child of Karl and Sharon, was blood type P like Gaeta, and that meant that Dr. Alghee would need to keep a close eye on the child.

"All right, I think we've done enough," Jack said. It was late March and that meant evening came early. There was still a sandbox to put together, but that was a smaller chore, and it was getting dark. The Agathon kids looked ready to play and take turns on the swings for the next few hours but it was getting cold and he could see his own breath. The kids were all wearing jackets, some wearing oversized "borrowed" jackets from Daniel, himself and Teal'c, but Colorado was not known for its warm spring weather. The children looked fine, although the little blonde girl Felicia was sniffling as much as Daniel, but it was chilly and getting dark and they had all been working or playing hard since one in the afternoon. It was time for the kids to have a nice evening meal in their new home.

And time for the lecture he had to give the entire family on the quarantine rules. He didn't anticipate problems, the Agathon kids seemed like good kids. Excited but timid and he had noticed how openly hesitant even the older ones were when an adult that wasn't their parents spoke. They were nervous and scared of people they didn't know, and shyly surprised at people being nice to them. It was good that they were in a safe place where they could get over it, O'Neill thought as he herded the mass of children and adults into the house and upstairs to the main floor.

He wasn't surprised to smell the warm scent of chocolate. Sam was in the kitchen, stirring a big pot, the hot cocoa he suspected, and there was a big bag of marshmallows out. She smiled at him. "General Hammond just called. He said he is bringing the dinner from Pizza Hut and that he has good news. He said he was bringing enough for everyone."

O'Neill nodded. There were about fifteen volunteers littered around the upstairs living room, dining room and kitchen, and the mandatory three guards, not to mention the entire Agathon family, who had at least two teenagers who were no doubt bottomless pits for food. Nick Agathon was small for his age but the doctor at SG Command said good nutrition would add inches to his frame and to Hera Agathon as well, who was also small for her age. As it was, even in just a week, he thought the kids had gotten bigger. The little ones had definitely filled out, even though he still thought the whole family looked painfully thin. "All right, you kids get some hot chocolate and take a seat around the table. We're going to have a little talk about rules, before dinner."

"You heard the general," Helo warned as he took the tray of mugs Sam had quickly prepared. In seconds the kids were seated. It was impressive, Jack thought, especially since he had gotten the impression from Gaeta that the colonials abhorred corporal punishment. It would wear off soon enough, he reasoned. They were used to being scared and doing what they were told or else people died. The volunteers from Stargate whistled in appreciation at how the kids quieted down and he eyed them. Then he grabbed a beer and handed one to Helo. Sharon stood in the doorway of the kitchen with Sam, holding a mug of the hot chocolate, and Sam was handing out beers to the volunteers.

"All right," he said sternly. "Do you like your house?" He smiled at the chorus of yeses and smiles. "Good. This is a safe house and you all are under quarantine. That means we don't want you getting sick and we want you all to learn about how to blend in. The first rule is this. There's always going to be some soldiers here, and they're here to protect you. They'll be stationed in the garage and one will be on duty by the front door. They're the only ones who answer the door and let people in. Is that understood?" The kids all nodded but he had a feeling that the lesson would need reinforcement since they were also sipping the cocoa with newfound delight. "You've got a big yard to play in and there's a fence around it," a decorative split rail that was basically useless but motion sensors had been installed as well, "so stay inside the fence. You can play in the front yard, but one of the guards has to watch you, or one of your parents and if someone you don't know drives up, you don't go to them, and you go to the guard. That's really important." He doubted the kids had anything communicable but there was always a chance. "If you don't feel well, you tell your mom or your dad right away. On Monday we're going to have some teachers come out and get you guys ready for school." No groans but definitely some pensive looks. "Any questions?"

"Are those the only rules?" Felicia asked. He could already see the mischief being contemplated.

"Those are General O'Neill's rules," Sharon said swiftly, "and he can add to them whenever he wants, and the rules that Dad and I have still stand, and we'll probably need a few new ones as well." She darted to the table just in time to stop Felix from letting Neville lick his mug. "We don't let Neville lick our dishes."

"But he wanted some, Mama." Felix said worriedly.

"Don't let Neville get the best of you, son." Jack said, struggling not to smile. He knew Sharon was right, though. "Neville always wants a treat, don't you Neville?" The big dog seemed to grin in agreement. "But too much people food makes Neville sick." Felix had always been insistent about not feeding Neville human food and while Jack liked to give the dog treats, he also wanted to support Sharon. It was ironic that little Felix Agathon looked like his namesake.

"Well, I think school and teachers sounds great," Karl said suddenly. He sipped his beer and grimaced. "School is a good thing, and I am sure there will be lots of interesting things to learn about. I wouldn't mind some school at all."

"But you're old, Daddy." Rose said suddenly. "Old people don't go to school." That led to some all around chuckling from the volunteers. O'Neill couldn't help but smile himself. At that moment the front door opened and General Hammond stepped in. Everyone looked expectantly at him, even the children, although Jack was fairly certain that they didn't know what was going on.

Hammond looked around. "I just got word about an hour ago that Janet and Felix had a little boy and a little girl." A cheer went up and after a moment Hammond waved it down. "They're a little small so they're in the NICU but it's just a precaution. Janet was a little touch and go but she's doing all right." Another cheer but more muted. Jack didn't like how it sounded, Hammond looked more concerned than he liked but he also knew that Hammond would have gone to the hospital if it was truly serious. The general smiled and then pointed outside. "Now I think I got the entire evening run of pizza and wings, not to mention extras so someone better volunteer to fetch it all." That got people moving, and in minutes everyone was feasting on pizza.

"When you say touch and go," Jack asked Hammond softly as he handed the man a beer, "what are we talking about?"

"They were lucky," Hammond said, his voice filled with concern. "She had a lot of bleeding and Felix told me their doctor has strongly suggested that they don't have more children. A close call, and Janet will need to stay in the hospital for a few days longer than normal, but she should be fine, and aside from being a little small, the babies are fine."

"Good," Jack said. "Do you have names?"

"I do," Hammond said, his eyes filled with amusement.

O'Neill grinned. He held up his hand and then gestured widely. "I think it's time for some toasts." He knew it was a custom of the colonials as well as Earth because he had once asked Felix about it. They generally drank stronger beverages, but the sentiment was the same. He held up his bottle of beer and gestured to Sharon and Karl. "First, to the Agathons, and their new safe home." That was met with a lot of cheers and clinking of bottles. He was glad to see the kids smiling and clinking glasses with everyone.

"The next toast is to the new babies. General Hammond, who are we welcoming tonight?" He looked at Hammond expectantly.

"Tonight we toast William Jackson Gaeta, and Kara Anastasia Gaeta," Hammond said, his voice ringing.

TBC…


	4. Chapter 4

**Every Stray Child**

Part: 4  
Rating: PG, maybe be PG-13 later on  
paring: ensemble cast  
Summary: Several years later someone from Felix's past shows up. This is a sequel to Training Wheels.  
Disclaimer: Battlestar Galactica and its characters are creations of Glen Larson and copywrited by Universal Studios. Stargate and its characters are creations of MGM. We make no money off this.

_**Chapter Four**_

Sam walked into the newly renovated house carrying a bag of groceries. Even though the fridge and pantry were well stocked, there were still some things that had been missing, namely spices and extra little things. She looked around the corner and into the living room. The house was quiet, but it already had that lived in feeling once again. It was good that the house was being used. She set the bag on the counter and started pulling the items out of it.

"Do you need any help, ma'am?"

"No, but thanks," she said as she looked back to one of the guards. "Don't worry there'll be enough for you and Simms."

The guard smiled at the thought of getting a good meal as he went back to the garage. When she was alone once more, she looked up to the small camera Felix had installed several years ago, and waived.

Being familiar with children, especially Cassie, Sam knew that the younger Agathons will be up and clamoring for breakfast the moment they started smelling the food. The two adults might be slower in making their appearances. Sam may not be the one to make breakfast for a hungry family every day, but this was their first time to wake up in a house.

"You know, you don't have to do this," Sharon said as she moved into the kitchen.

"I know." Sam smiled as she handed the Cylon a fresh cup of coffee. "It's your first morning in a new place, so why not? Just don't expect me to do this for you every day." The last sentence Sam emphasized slightly. The look on Sharon's face told her that she knew she and Karl were expected to learn how to operate the appliances in the kitchen.

"Don't worry," Sam came back over and patted her arm, "The appliances are pretty easy to learn." The blonde indicated the countertop clearly trying to tell Sharon to come over. "You can also help Karl become more comfortable."

Seeing her chance of learning more how the kitchens on Earth worked she came over beside Sam and watched how breakfast was prepared. Sam remembered Janet's comments from several years ago how Felix was able to catch on fairly quickly. Hoping it was the same with the Cylon she started explaining what she was doing.

"This is almost the same as what I remember," Sharon said with more confidence. "The controls are the only thing that's different."

"Good," Sam said under her breath.

Breakfast was completed by the time the rest of the family began to emerge from their bedrooms. They all had sleepy but wary looks on their faces not quite sure what the official protocol would be.

It almost made Karl cry, it was that kind. He didn't know if Samantha Carter even understood how nice she was being. The kids had been raised to be happy if a meal happened every twelve hours and they had also been raised to not balk at how food tasted since there was so little food to begin with. He could smell just how tasty the meal Sam had prepared was, and he wanted the children to appreciate it.

They had been so lucky after all. The kids, in their brand new pajamas and robes seemed almost startled by a set breakfast table and he knew, almost instinctively, that it was time to shake off the shock and go back to his favorite role, being a dad. "Ok, I want everyone to take a seat at the table, now." He peaked into the kitchen. "Nick, Hera, go into the kitchen and be helpful. The rest of you, in seats."

Cafeteria style life was fine in short bursts, when it was necessary, but they were in a house now and he intended for things to be different. He smiled as Hera, and Nick came out of the kitchen with heaping bowls of scrambled eggs and homefried potatoes, and smiled more as Sharon and Sam entered with bacon, sausage, and buttered toast. The children squirmed in their seats as the food was set down, the dog, Neville, taking up position by little Felix.

He looked at Sharon. "This is our first morning in our new home and we are going to start it right. Everyone sit down." He waited until everyone took a seat at the table. He felt awkward but… "Everyone hold hands." He waited until Sharon took his hand on the left and Hera on the right. "Zeus, we thank you for your gifts, Hera, we thank you for our safety, Hestia we thank you for our new home…."

"Peresphone we thank you for your bounty," Sharon added with a smile. "We thank you all for bringing our family to safety, and for returning friends to us and for bringing us new friends like Samantha who helped prepare this meal." She waited a long moment. "Ok, let's eat."

It had been a very long and exhausting 24 hours, Felix Gaeta numbly thought. The only good thing that came out of it all was that everyone was going to be all right. "I haven't been this worn out in a very long time," he muttered as he pulled into the driveway. After sliding the car into park, he rested his head against the headrest and closed his eyes. All he wanted to do was to close his eyes and sleep.

Tapping on the window eventually caught his attention. He had no idea how long he had been possibly asleep. "Are you okay, sir?" the guard asked cautiously once he lowered the window.

"Yes, I'm just very tired." Gaeta rubbed his bloodshot eyes. "Who's in there?" indicating the house in front of him.

"Major Carter is the only one so far, sir."

The former Colonial tactical officer finally looked at the name tag on the guard's uniform. "Thanks, Sutton," he told the marine as he slowly climbed out of the vehicle. For a moment he hesitated at the front door, but only for a moment. The car would be all right, plus he knew the neighborhood, and the neighbors knew that he and Janet still owned the house.

It was nice to see the house used once again, he mused. Over the past year they had discussed the possibility of renting it out, but nothing ever came to fruition. He pushed the door open and stepped inside. Muffled conversation wafted through the seemingly empty house. From what he remembered of the layout, he had a good idea of where the noise was coming from.

Reaching the stairwell that descended into the basement, he slowly worked his way down to the bottom floor. The sound of dramatic music made him realize that whoever was down here was watching a movie. He couldn't tell which one it was, and at the moment he really didn't care.

"Felix?" Karl asked as he stepped into the large room. The Agathon kids were spread around the room either watching the movie, or working on a puzzle over at the game table. Sam was with that particular group. She had smiled and waved at him then went back to what they were working on. Nodding, he moved towards a free sofa. Once he had moved from the basement and up to the master bedroom, they had converted this space over to a recreation type of space, and was decorated accordingly. As soon as he sat down, Neville came over and hopped onto the cushions beside him, then laid half of his body on top of him.

"You like that, don't you," he muttered as he started scratching the akita's ears. The dog sighed in absolute contentment and rolled onto his back exposing his soft underbelly. Letting out a grin, Gaeta reached down and found that spot on the dogs belly that made his leg kick uncontrollably.

A whimper caught his attention and he looked up. Karl's youngest was sitting in his father's lap, but squirming to get down. He clearly wanted to go over to the dog. Neville seemed to be ignoring the child for him. Neville probably smells how stressed out I've been, he thought. He knew when he was ready Neville would go over to the child. Maybe later, he thought as he finally let sleep overcome his weariness.

This day was a long time coming, Felix thought as he looked out the back door and into the yard. Ever since his two youngest had arrived he started planning the celebration. Even if Karl and Sharon hadn't shown up when they did, he still would have planned for it. He did it two other times and both turned out good, except for Jack moping around about not being allowed near the grill. It was all in good natured fun. And he knew Jack was just doing it all for show.

The pattering of feet on the hardwood floor alerted him to the fact that at least one child was awake. Hearing the noise come closer he turned around and kneeled down just in time to be barreled into by a small moving form. "Karl, no running in the house," he said with mock sternness. Getting a hug, the small form turned and raced into the kitchen area.

"Felix, he's only three. Give him some slack," Janet said as she came into the room. Yesterday had been a very long day for both of them, but it had been worth it. Their two youngest had finally come home from the hospital.

"Which one?" he asked as he took the infant and cradled the child against him.

"Kara. Billy is still asleep." Janet yawned as she turned and went back into the nursery to retrieve the other baby.

Felix nodded absently as he moved over to one of the chairs. Morning was always the best time, especially before the kids were awake. It was like the calm before the storm. Not that he didn't mind it. He found it refreshing in an exhausting way. The kids helped keep him young.

Eventually Felix started getting things ready for the barbeque picnic. It really didn't take that long, he had organized everything the day before. He found out the hard way at the first party. He hated running around in a panic, when all he had to do was to make sure that he had everything the day before.

There was a knock and then "Hey!" from the front of the house.

Felix smiled, only Jack would do something like that. He heard Janet address him in what sounded like irritation. When the older officer came in, he was carrying a bag of groceries and a 12 pack of beer. The look on his face was slightly sheepish. "I heard Janet grilling you," Felix gave him a wink.

"Well yeah, I kinda forgot." Jack shrugged as he put the plastic bag on the island then went over to the fridge and looked for a place to put the beer in it. "These should be cold enough in a few hours, and if not, there's always the ice chest."

"If you're going to grill the ribs, you need to help me get this stuff ready."

"Captain, ordering me around?" Felix looked over and found that Jack really didn't mean the comment.

"When you're on my property? Of course, and you're not on duty either." The former Colonial gave him another wink before turning his attention back to the vegetables he was preparing. "The meat is in the fridge. I took everything out of the freezer a few days ago to let it all thaw out."

Jack nodded as he opened the door once again and looked around. He found what he was looking for in the drawers at the bottom. "Think you have enough here?"

"There's always leftovers," Felix said as he finished what he was doing for the moment. "If you could put that there, it'll be great," he pointed to the island with a knife then went back to putting all the different grilling vegetables on several platters. "And leftovers mean sandwiches for at least a week at the most." He paused, "Or stew in the slowcooker."

Jack grinned as he put the wrapped packages on the counter. Soon enough the meat would be washed and prepared for grilling.

"Is any of this going to show up in the cafeteria?" He looked over to the older man and sighed. There was going to be enough people at the celebration that there might not be any leftovers. That was something he didn't mind at all. As long as everything was cleaned up afterwards would he consider it a good day. The babies were going to make their first official outing, even if it were to the backyard. He never considered their trip home from the hospital to be an "outing". This afternoon was going to be different.

With a grin, he accepted the mug of coffee Jack had offered. Taking a swallow, he went back to preparing the rest of the vegetables. As soon as he found out what barbeque meant he started experimenting with vegetables. If one could roast the roughage in the oven, who's to say it couldn't be done over an open fire. Although this would be gas powered instead of using coal. It made things easier, too.

The sound of small feet running through the house to the kitchen alerted both adults that they were about to be joined by one of kids. Even though Felix had been getting the food ready for the cookout, he didn't forget that his oldest children needed breakfast.

"Good morning, Danny," he heard Jack greet one of his oldest.

"Hi Uncle Jack!"

"Cereal is in the pantry," Felix said automatically.

The answer he heard was the sound of the pantry door opening up and then Jack's voice once again, "Let's see what we have here."

"I don't want that!" Danny said petulantly. For a moment Felix glanced back to the two and caught his son with arms folded imitating Janet when she was extremely irritated. It took considerable effort not to grin at the whole sight.

"You know, we can always put some sugar on it," Jack attempted to mollify the child.

"No!"

Knowing the child was pushing his luck, Felix turned and looked at him, "Daniel, Uncle Jack is getting you breakfast."

In a flash, the petulance disappeared and was replaced by a sullen realization that he wasn't going to get his way.

"If you don't want the cereal, there are some waffles in the freezer." Felix glanced to Jack and gave a slight nod. He understood the motive behind Danny's behavior. The child felt like wasn't going to get the attention he was used to and this was the only way he could get it. He knew all too well and planned on giving his two oldest just as much, maybe even more attention than they received on a regular basis so they would know that he loved them just as much as the younger babies.

Pointing to one of the cabinets, Felix let Jack retrieve the toaster and the rest of the things needed to prepare the frozen waffles. Soon enough, Danny was seated at the kitchen table and pouring on as much syrup as he could. Moments later, his twin brother made his first appearance in the kitchen. Karl was still wearing his pajamas with matching booties. When he saw Danny getting waffles he started jumping up and down squealing and begging for the same breakfast.

"Is this normal?" Jack asked as he retrieved the milk from the fridge.

"Welcome to the madhouse," Felix answered with an amused tone to his voice. It was then he realized that Jack had never been present when the kids first got up in the morning. So far, it was fairly normal, though he knew he had to watch the two oldest to make sure they didn't act out more than normal 4-year-olds.

Several hours later Felix was seated in a comfortable lawn chair and holding little Billy while watching everyone that had come to the party. It never ceased to amaze him that the members of Stargate had readily accepted him and made him one of their own; a valued member. They didn't care where he was from, they just accepted him the way he was. Their actions reminded him greatly of his parents. Even though they were older, they had welcomed him and all his problems with open arms.

Karl and Sharon had been ecstatic when they found out they were invited to come. It was also good to see Neville once again, though the Akita was acting more like a pet than a service animal. Little Felix stuck like glue to the large dog. The first time Danny saw Karl and Sharon's youngest they immediately started playing together. It was good to see the children running around and enjoying themselves. Neville didn't fully participate in the antics, but he did watch carefully what was going on.

Hearing the back door open, Felix glanced over his shoulder and saw both Janet and Sharon emerging from inside the house. The lone remaining Cylon was cradling his youngest daughter carefully. Having had experience with her own children, she knew to make sure that the infant wasn't injured in any way. Turning his attention back to the grill he smiled. He had specifically told Jack that the grill was off limits. But when Janet had first emerged with Billy he quickly relegated the cooking duties to the older individual and settled himself down to watch over everything. On the ground beside the chair was a baby bag.

The next person to emerge from the house was Cassie carrying another tray of vegetables ready to be grilled. Early on in his growing relationship with Janet he deliberately gave her as much attention as he could. He didn't want her to feel that he was taking Janet away from her. Even though she was in her teens, he knew she still needed the guidance only a parent could give. It also helped that she understood the feeling of being a complete stranger in a strange new world.

Felix couldn't help but notice the teen glance towards Nick and then quickly bring her attention back to what she was doing. It was like she was trying not to be noticed, but the more she tried, the more obvious it had become.

Nick seemed to blush for a moment before shaking himself out of it. Karl and Sharon's oldest had seemed to grow like a weed once he had nutritious food inside him. All of the Agathon's seemed to have grown substantially. It was a testament to what healthy food and a healthy environment will do for growing children.

The whole situation was amusing, and something he needed to talk to Janet, and then Karl.

The sliding glass door opened again. At first, Felix ignored what was going on, but after a moment, his curiosity got the better of him, and he glanced over his shoulder to see whom it was. Karl emerged from inside the house with a bag in hand. For a moment, he wondered if his hair was supposed to be as gray as his old friend was. Eventually he decided that it wasn't that important. His people were still alive, and that's all that mattered. It did grieve him that his parents were gone, but that was something he didn't have any control over. The members of the premier Stargate team had made him one of their own. The group had become his only extended family. It reminded him somewhat of the first years after the Holocaust. The disaster brought everyone together on the battlestar.

At first he thought the bag was for the kids, until he came over to him and put it down beside the baby bag. "Is that for me?" he asked as he glanced down.

"Yes, sorry it took so long," Karl apologized.

"Don't worry about it," Felix grinned as he shifted Billy to his other shoulder.

"Let me hold him. I want you to look at what I brought," Karl grinned.

Felix rolled his eyes then handed his youngest to his old friend. Dipping his hand into the bag he pulled out what looked like a somewhat thin book. The sight of the beveled corners made him grin. It had been a long time since he had seen books that looked right. He still had a hard time looking at books and paper with square corners. "What's in it?"

"Just look."

Felix looked up and realized that several people had come over, wanting to see what he got. Opening it up, he couldn't help but tear up when he realized that someone had lovingly taken care of his precious few pictures from his life on Caprica. "You have no idea how much this means to me, Karl," he said in a whisper then wiped his eyes.

_finis_


End file.
